McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Shares Sold by Central Bank & Trust Co.

Central Bank & Trust Co. lowered its stake in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 17.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,141 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,929 shares during the quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $2,855,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Pinney & Scofield Inc. bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 939 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.07, for a total transaction of $295,850.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 11,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,516,496.27. The trade was a 7.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $307.44 on Friday. McDonald’s Co. has a 12-month low of $243.53 and a 12-month high of $326.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $219.83 billion, a PE ratio of 26.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.56. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $312.29 and its 200-day moving average is $302.66.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The fast-food giant reported $2.67 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 181.63% and a net margin of 31.73%. The firm had revenue of $5.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.70 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.30%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. Erste Group Bank downgraded McDonald’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 24th. Wedbush lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Loop Capital downgraded McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the company from $346.00 to $315.00 in a research note on Friday. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $324.96.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the U.K.